Yes, Buffalo is known around the world for the blizzards that
form off of Lake Erie. But it’s also home to some of the best
celebrations of this weather in the United States.
We love winter, and here at UB, we help international students
learn to love it, too.

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It all starts with your welcome to campus. Advisers in the UB Office of
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) help non-U.S.
students, scholars and employees warm up to UB, providing
immigration services including assistance with Social Security
card and driver’s license applications, tips about home and
street safety, information about U.S. academic culture, income tax
filing support and much more.

UB will also get you settled in your new city, from finding
student housing to where you can buy warm boots and your
favorite comfort foods. We understand, because we live and work
here, too! It may seem difficult at first to adjust to the cold,
but we’ll provide the tips and tricks you’ll need to
enjoy your first winter and the ones to come.

ISSS helps UB’s international community get to know winter
culturally and socially as well. Every year, they hold a busy
schedule of fun, cold-weather activities (such as skiing, snow
tubing and a chance to see a professional
hockey game) as well as workshops for new and current
international students on how to drive in the snow and other
practical concerns.

The entire university also gets involved with cold-weather fun.
In December, Team UB is one of the region’s largest volunteer
groups participating in Western New York’s Polar
Plunge—a chilly swim in Lake Erie to raise money for the
Special Olympics. And February wouldn’t be the same without
Winterfest,
our annual university-wide celebration of snow and a UB tradition
for more than 60 years. We offer outdoor team sports like
“broom ball” (ice hockey with brooms) and ice bowling,
indoor food and music, and more relaxed events like ice skating,
igloo-building contests and sleigh rides.

If you are especially interested in skiing or snowboarding, Schussmeisters
Ski Club is open to all students, faculty and staff. It’s
the largest UB club and offers members affordable ski lessons,
social events and access to local ski mountains (yes, we have
those, too).

No matter what you think of the snow, we’ll help you
explore Buffalo’s signature season!

Celebrating winters of years past: (Clockwise, from top
left) Record snowfall from the infamous Blizzard of 1977; a
circa-1960s snowball fight between classes; car skiing (at your own
risk) in 1950; snow sculptures at what was once called the
“Winter Carnival.” Photos courtesy of University
Archives.

“One day my wife and I woke up and saw that the car was 100% frozen, and we were late for classes. The main problem was that we didn’t have the special tool to remove the ice from the windshield, so I had to use a spatula from the kitchen because it was the hardest sharp thing I found.”

A snowy day is one of the best times to experience something
new, from cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, to our
region’s official pastime—hockey! Here are
just some of the organized trips and activities held indoors and
out throughout the chilly months for UB’s international
community.

The Buffalo-Niagara region boasts four wonderful seasons, but we
have our favorite: WINTER! Here are some popular local activities
and attractions.